Justice Josephine Oyefeso of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ajah has sentenced one Chukwudi Okonkwo Goodness to 74 years imprisonment for stealing ₦360 million and issuing dud cheques to his victim.
Naijaonpoint reports that the judgment, delivered on Tuesday, brings an end to a nine-year trial that began in June 2016, when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Goodness on 33-count charges related to stealing, fraud, and issuing false financial instruments.
According to the EFCC, Goodness fraudulently converted the sum of ₦360 million belonging to Henry Nnadike between June and July 2015.
“That you, Chukwudi Okonkwo Goodness, sometime between the months of June and July 2015 at Ikeja… fraudulently converted and stole the sum of ₦360,000,000.00… and committed an offence of stealing by conversion contrary to Sections 278 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011,” part of the charge sheet read.
Goodness pleaded not guilty to all 33 counts. During the trial, prosecution counsel T.J. Banjo presented four witnesses and tendered multiple exhibits to substantiate the allegations.
Justice Oyefeso convicted Goodness on 32 out of the 33 counts, discharging him only on the count related to possession of fake documents.
The court imposed the following sentences:
7 years imprisonment on count 1 for stealing;
2 years each on counts 3 to 32 for issuance of dud cheques, without option of fine;
7 years on count 33, also without the option of a fine.
The judge ordered that all sentences run concurrently, effectively making it a total of 7 years in prison.
The court further directed that Goodness refund ₦215 million to the victim within 30 days of the judgment. Justice Oyefeso ruled that the convict may be considered for a fine only after the refund has been made.